Zimmerman To Appear Before Judge On Murder Charge

Attorney To Seek Bond In Trayvon Martin Case

George Zimmerman's new attorney is expected to seek bond when the two appear before a judge Thursday.

Zimmerman Arrives At Seminole Co. Jail

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Zimmerman is expected to make his initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. in a Seminole County Courtroom on second-degree murder charges in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

On Wednesday evening, the special prosecutor at the helm of the Martin death investigation announced Zimmerman's charges in Jacksonville. Zimmerman was in custody there and then transported back to Sanford.

Special prosecutor Angela Corey, who was handpicked to take the case by Gov. Rick Scott, announced her decision Wednesday after George Zimmerman was already in custody.

"We did not come to this decision lightly. We do not prosecute based on public pressure. We prosecute based on the law of the state of Florida," Corey said.

Two black-tinted sport utility vehicles entered the Seminole County Jail on Wednesday night after Zimmerman surrendered in Jacksonville.

Seconds later, Zimmerman was escorted out of the SUV wearing a plaid shirt with a coat over his head and handcuffed in front of his body. He moved quickly inside to begin the booking process.

Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger confirmed it was Zimmerman.

"I have been told he was covered, so I assume," Eslinger said.

A special agent from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Zimmerman surrendered at the agency's Jacksonville office. Eslinger did not reveal where Zimmerman will be placed in the jail or what condition he was in.

"He will go through a medical screening process, just like any other inmate, including mental health and his physical issues, as well," Eslinger said.

Zimmerman's new attorney, Mark O'Mara, said he will try to get Zimmerman released on bond and plans to build the best defense possible for his client.

"I think anyone who would be charged with second-degree murder would be scared," O'Mara said. "He was concerned about getting a fair trial and a fair presentation."

Corey Makes Announcement

Zimmerman's Attorney Speaks

"It is Trayvon's family who are constitutional victims, and they deserve to know what happened," Corey said.

The arrest came after the case touched off a firestorm, including several marches, rallies and petitions calling for it.

Martin was visiting his father and stepmother in Sanford on Feb. 26 when the shooting happened. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch program volunteer, confronted him while he was walking back to their home from a convenience store, according to the Martin family's attorneys.

The shooting happened at Sanford's Retreat at Twin Lakes, a townhouse complex. The teen, according to investigators, was not carrying any weapons, just a bag containing Skittles and a can of iced tea.

Zimmerman told police officers that the shooting was self-defense. He said the teen repeatedly slammed his head into the ground, according to a redacted, partial police report.

Zimmerman was taken to Sanford Police Department headquarters, but was released about seven hours after the shooting and was not charged.

"My son left Sanford, Fla., in a body bag, while George Zimmerman went home to go to sleep in his own bed," said Martin's father, Tracy Martin, in March. "It's senseless, and the police in Sanford, Fla., isn't giving any answers, and we actually feel that justice hasn't been served and isn't being served."

The Martin family sued the Sanford Police Department on March 9, requesting that investigators release the 911 call recordings related to the case. Seven days later, the Department released the calls.

Zimmerman's previous attorneys, Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig, said Tuesday that they had lost contact with the accused self-proclaimed watchman and haven't spoken to him in days.

"He has gone on his own. I'm not sure what he's doing or who he's talking to," said legal adviser Craig Sonner. "If he wants us to come back as counsel, he will contact us."

The attorneys said they believe Zimmerman was acting in self-defense, but said they will not stay with a client who does not stay in contact. On Wednesday morning's "Today" show, Uhrig said he believes Zimmerman suffers from post-traumatic stress.

Raw 911 Calls

Scott weighed in on Corey's announcement before she gave it, saying Floridians are fortunate to live in a state where most residents are "law-abiding and responsible citizens who all want justice to prevail."

"I trust in the goodness of all Florida citizens to allow our justice system to reach an appropriate conclusion in this case," Scott said in the statement.

Rep. Corrine Brown released a statement following Corey's announcement.

"State Attorney Angela Corey's decision to file charges against George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin is a positive first step towards some closure on this tragedy," Brown said in the statement.

The Florida Civil Right Association asked for the state on Thursday to look into the Stand Your Ground law in the wake of Martin's death.

According to the FCRA, it wants a special prosecutor appointed to review the cases in Florida that elad to 68 people taking other people's lives under the law.

The group said it also wants the law immediately changed so that when someone is accused in a shooting they must immediately surrender their weapons and their concealed weapons permit pending the outcome of the investigation.

The group rallied before Zimmerman's arrest, but was told at that time the state couldn't suspend his the license yet.

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Family Reacts To Charges

After weeks of pleading for an arrest, Trayvon Martin's parents watched from Washington D.C. as a special prosecutor announced charges in their son's death Wednesday.

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin stood beside an attorney and Rev. Al Sharpton as they reacted to the news.

Trayvon's parents have been meeting with civil rights leaders and government officials.

Sharpton also weighed in on the announcement at a news conference.

"They charged him with a serious crime. He deserves a fair trial. We do not want anybody high-fiving tonight. There's no victory here. There's no winners here," Sharpton said.

Attorneys Weigh In On Charges

Corey decided Zimmerman would face second-degree murder charges, which legal analysts called the most serious charge on the table.

According to Zimmerman's former attorney, Craig Sonner, canceling the grand jury's use in the case signaled Zimmerman would not be charged with first-degree murder.

Craig Sonner Speaks To WESH 2

Former defense attorney Jeff Deen said there are several charges, including second-degree murder and manslaughter, that Corey likely considered.

The most serious of the two charges, second-degree murder, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Second-degree murder is defined as unlawful killing by an act imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human life, Deen said.

There are three factors for second-degree murder, according to Deen: A person of ordinary judgment would know it is reasonably certain to kill or cause serious injury to another and is done out of ill-will, hatred, spite or evil intent and is of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life.

According to Deen, the state does not need to prove the intent to cause death in second-degree murder trials.

A manslaughter charge would have carried a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and would indicate that the death was caused by culpable negligence or criminal negligence.